30 Contest Ideas in 30 Minutes
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This document provides information about an online promotions webinar hosted by Second Street, including: - The presenters from Second Street - An overview of the growth of online promotions spending - A list of 30 contest ideas in categories like cars/motorcycles, weather, nature, holidays, and more - For each contest idea, examples are given from radio stations and newspapers that had success with that type of promotion The document aims to educate about different types of online promotions and contests that have been successful for media companies, including details on sponsors and results for some example promotions. It focuses on providing ideas and case studies for running contests on digital platforms.
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30 Contest Ideas in 30 Minutes
- 2. #PromotionsLab Presenters Julie Foley Director of Affiliate Success Second Street @julie_foley Emily Thousand Affiliate Success Manager Second Street @emilythousand Matt Coen President & Co-Founder Second Street @mcoen
- 5. #PromotionsLab Why Online Promotions? Source:BorrellAssociates InBillions $0 $10 $20 $30 $40 $50 $60 $70 $80 $90 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
- 6. #PromotionsLab Q&A Follow @secondstreetlab on Twitter! Want to win an exclusive prize? Tweet the most with our hashtag #PromotionsLab Note: We are recording this webinar and you will receive an email with links to the recording.
- 9. #PromotionsLab Cars & Motorcycles30 The News-Herald Southgate, Michigan time of year | year-round sponsors | car & motorcycle dealerships, auto detailing, insurance companies, speedways KJEZ-FM Poplar Bluff, Missouri Casper Star-Tribune Casper, Wyoming
- 10. #PromotionsLab Badass Truck Contest30 WJRR-FM | Orlando, Florida This audience is extremely invested – both emotionally and financially. Give car and motorcycle owners a reason to show off their ride.TIP:
- 12. #PromotionsLab Code Word29 time of year | year-round sponsors | movie theaters, banks, insurance companies, event venues, amusement parks WCWN-TV Albany, New York KFOX-TV El Paso, Texas WZPL-FM Greenfield, Indiana
- 13. #PromotionsLab Hoopla in March -Mitch Gruber, Interactive Director“ 29 KFMB-TV | San Diego, California This unique promotion increased the foot traffic and sales for Drew Hyundai. The dealership was top in sales for Hyundai for the month.”
- 15. #PromotionsLab Weather & Temperature28 KMIT-FM Mitchell, South Dakota time of year | year-round sponsors | camera stores, electronics retailers, outdoor retailers, landscaping companies Metroland Durham Oshawa, Ontario KJRH-TV Tulsa, Oklahoma
- 16. #PromotionsLab Guess the Lowest Temperature28 WISN-TV | Milwaukee, Wisconsin -Amy Haidlinger, Digital Client Specialist“Since Wisconsin is known for its roller-coaster weather patterns, people really got into trying to predict what temperatures would come sweeping through.”
- 18. #PromotionsLab Hunting & Fishing27 WXCC-FM Williamson, West Virginia time of year | summer, hunting season sponsors | sporting good stores, outdoor supply stores, fishing & boating supplies, taxidermy The Messenger Fort Dodge, Iowa WCIA-TV Champaign, Illinois
- 19. #PromotionsLab Big Buck Picture Contest27 Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal | Tupelo, Mississippi Hunting & fishing is a $76 billion industry. Give advertisers an avenue to reach out to this niche market.TIP:
- 21. #PromotionsLab Bartenders26 The Fort Myers News- Press Fort Myers, Florida time of year | year-round sponsors | bars, restaurants, clubs, liquor stores, concert venues The Daily Herald Arlington Heights, Illinois WHAG-TV Hagerstown, Maryland
- 22. #PromotionsLab SVEDKA’s Best Cocktail Contest26 Rhode Island Monthly | Providence, Rhode Island These can be fun year-round. Consider hosting an event that ties in with the promotion.TIP:
- 24. #PromotionsLab Nature25 time of year | year-round sponsors | outdoor retailers, campgrounds, travel agencies, photography studios, art galleries Omaha World-Herald Omaha, Nebraska The Day New London, Connecticut KRDO-TV Colorado Springs, Colorado
- 25. #PromotionsLab Summer Sunset Photo Contest -Evonne Benedict, Social Media Manager “ 25 KING-TV | Seattle, Washington This was a great learning promotion for us to get started with photo contests. It really helped to drive entries and engagement.”
- 27. #PromotionsLab Holiday24 time of year | year-round, around holidays sponsors | restaurants, theaters, craft stores, bars, grocery stores, catering companies WMYA-TV Greenville, South Carolina Saint Paul Pioneer Press Saint Paul, Minnesota The Shopping Channel Mississauga, Ontario
- 28. #PromotionsLab Mardi Paw24 St. Louis Post-Dispatch | St. Louis, Missouri Create a contest that aligns with a holiday that’s popular in your community.TIP:
- 30. #PromotionsLab Prom23 WPXI-TV Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania time of year | spring sponsors | tuxedo rentals, salons, department stores, florists, limo rental services, restaurants WHYI-FM Fort Lauderdale, Florida The Macon Telegraph Macon, Georgia
- 31. #PromotionsLab Free Prom Giveaway -John Layton, Vice President for Advertising“ 23 The Westerly Sun | Westerly, Rhode Island Pageviews were 3,300 over the two week entry time, which was a great beginning to our online prom coverage. The contest also generated $3,000 in new revenue.”
- 33. #PromotionsLab Recipe22 time of year | year-round, holidays sponsors | grocery stores, culinary schools, restaurants, cooking stores, bakeries Erie Times-News Erie, Pennsylvania St. Louis Post-Dispatch St. Louis, Missouri KMID-TV Odessa, Texas
- 34. #PromotionsLab Little Chef22 Sunday World | Dublin, Ireland Partner with a local advertiser – a restaurant or bakery – to create a brand new flavor or dish.TIP:
- 36. #PromotionsLab Wedding21 WSBT-TV South Bend, Indiana time of year | year-round sponsors | photographers, jewelry stores, bridal stores, venues, catering companies, DJs Billings Gazette Billings, Montana Arkansas Democrat- Gazette Little Rock, Arkansas
- 37. #PromotionsLab Bridal Guide Cover Contest -Glen Jardine, Director of Marketing Services“ 21 Caledonian Record | Saint Johnsbury, Vermont Over 60,000 votes were cast and we collected 300 email opt-ins. We already have advertisers inquiring about being the sponsor for 2015.”
- 39. #PromotionsLab Creative20 time of year | year-round sponsors | restaurants, car dealerships, sports teams, hospitals, grocery stores Topeka Capital Journal Topeka, Kansas The Abbotsford News Abbotsford, British Columbia The Monett Times Monett, Missouri
- 40. #PromotionsLab Design the Men’s Room Six Pack20 KISW-FM | Seattle, Washington -Brian Thorpe, Marketing Director“We love when Elysian Brewing Company sponsors contests because it gives us a cool reason to talk about the beer and drive sales for our beer.”
- 42. #PromotionsLab Makeover19 Citrus County Chronicle Crystal River, Florida time of year | year-round sponsors | remodeling & landscaping companies, furniture stores, salons, clothing retailers Roanoke Times Roanoke, Virginia CIOC-FM Victoria, British Columbia
- 43. #PromotionsLab Ugly Bathroom Makeover -Beth Mann, General Manager“ 19 WKDZ-FM | Cadiz, Kentucky It was this promotion that showed that contesting can truly work, even in a small market. It had a total of seven sponsors and generated $3,500.”
- 45. #PromotionsLab Memorable Moments18 WNCY-FM Green Bay, Wisconsin time of year | summer, holidays sponsors | amusement parks, sports teams, travel agencies, airlines, fairs & festivals Shawnee News-Star Shawnee, Oklahoma Tennessee Farm & Family Columbia, Tennessee
- 46. #PromotionsLab Families Photo Contest -Mary Carlock, Sales Manager “ 18 Fort Campbell Families Magazine | Oak Grove, Kentucky We run a photo contest every issue to determine our cover photo. Each time it generates thousands of votes.”
- 48. #PromotionsLab Selfie17 time of year | year-round sponsors | cell phone providers, camera stores, electronic stores, restaurants, event venues WEZB-FM New Orleans, Louisiana Roanoke Times Roanoke, Virginia The Coast Halifax, Nova Scotia
- 49. #PromotionsLab Selfie Contest -Derek Reece, Digital Content Specialist “ 17 WXXL-FM | Orlando, Florida Selfie contests can be edgy and fun. This contest helped us reach our page view goal for the month.”
- 51. #PromotionsLab Halloween16 KJEZ-FM Poplar Bluff, Missouri time of year | October sponsors | costume stores, candy stores, haunted houses, theaters, pet stores KTAB-TV Abilene, Texas Southwest Times Record Fort Smith, Arkansas
- 52. #PromotionsLab Cutest Trick’r Treater -Robin Aspinwall, Online Marketing Director “ 16 Statesboro Herald | Statesboro, Georgia It’s an annual tradition that our reader look for and ask about. This year it had five sponsors and generated a total of $2,100.”
- 54. #PromotionsLab Community15 WHPT-FM St. Petersburg, Florida time of year | year-round sponsors | charities, non-profits, credit unions, universities, schools, hospitals KATU-TV Portland, Oregon WCMH-TV Columbus, Ohio
- 55. #PromotionsLab Eco Ambassadors -Mitch Gruber, Interactive Director “ 15 KFMB-TV | San Diego, California The goal is to get the community involved and have them vote daily for their favorite non-profit. This year we eclipsed 41,000 votes!”
- 57. #PromotionsLab Major Sports14 time of year | year-round, season by season sponsors | restaurants, bars, banks, car dealerships, sporting goods stores, rec centers, gyms WEEI-FM Boston, Massachusetts WAFX-FM & WNOR-FM Suffolk, Virginia Norfolk, Virginia The Wisconsin State Journal Madison, Wisconsin
- 58. #PromotionsLab Sports Panel Football Pro Pick’em -John Levinson, Marketing Manager“ 14 Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Atlanta, Georgia McDonald’s wanted to strengthen their Falcons sponsorship with a message promoting them as the Falcons “quick service” restaurant and coffee sponsor.”
- 60. #PromotionsLab Beauty13 Las Vegas Review- Journal Las Vegas, Nevada time of year | year-round sponsors | malls, clothing stores, salons, tanning centers, photographers, restaurants, bars WNOU-FM Indianapolis, Indiana KKLR-FM Poplar Bluff, Missouri
- 61. #PromotionsLab $40,000 Rock Girl Search -Rob Lembke, Promotions Director“ 13 KAZR-FM | Des Moines, Iowa Annually, we get 60-70 entrants and collect about 10K votes. This promotion receives about 500K page views during the two week voting phase.”
- 63. #PromotionsLab Christmas12 WKRQ-FM Cincinnati, Ohio time of year | November, December sponsors | malls, craft stores, theaters, restaurants, grocery stores, catering companies Roanoke Times Roanoke, Virginia The Pantagraph Bloomington, Illinois
- 64. #PromotionsLab Holiday Wishes12 The Southern Illinoisan | Carbondale, Illinois Create a contest that can tie-in with your holiday shopping special section or gift guide.TIP:
- 65. #PromotionsLab MOTHER’S & FATHER’S DAY11
- 66. #PromotionsLab Mother’s & Father’s Day11 St. Louis Post-Dispatch St. Louis, Missouri time of year | April, May, and June sponsors | kid-friendly restaurants, photographers, day care centers, parks & rec centers BlackDoctor.org Chicago, Illinois The Daily Nonpareil Council Bluffs, Iowa
- 67. #PromotionsLab Maid for Mom -Travis Henkaline, Creative Services Director “ 11 WXMI-TV | Grand Rapids, Michigan This has been one of our best received promotions – by our audience and our advertisers. It has generated nearly $50,000 over the last two years.”
- 69. #PromotionsLab Couples10 WKLH-FM Milwaukee, Wisconsin time of year | February, around Valentine’s Day sponsors | jewelry stores, hotels, candy shops, restaurants, florists, photographers, wineries WAQY-FM Springfield, Massachusetts Amarillo Globe-News Amarillo, Texas
- 70. #PromotionsLab Orlando’s Ultimate Couple10 WXXL-FM | Orlando, Florida Capitalize on the popularity of Valentine’s Day when planning your cutest couple contest.TIP:
- 72. #PromotionsLab Travel & Vacation9 Rapid City Journal Rapid City, South Dakota time of year | spring, summer sponsors | travel agencies, camera stores, airlines, tourism bureaus, hotels & resorts Raleigh News and Observer Raleigh, North Carolina Herald-Mail Hagerstown, Maryland
- 73. #PromotionsLab Win a Dream Trip to Hawaii9 Where Traveler | Augusta, Georgia TIP: Travel photography is one of the top hobbies in the world. Chances are that your audience already has photos available to submit.
- 75. #PromotionsLab Facebook Advertiser8 WGH-FM Virginia Beach, Virginia time of year | year-round sponsors | local advertisers with a Facebook page Quad-City Times Davenport, Iowa KULR-TV Billings, Montana
- 76. #PromotionsLab Eureka Springs Romantic Getaway -Jimmie Brewer, Digital Marketing Consultant“ 8 KYTV-TV | Springfield, Missouri The advertiser was thrilled with the number of Facebook Likes and opt-ins and is gearing up to do some substantial digital marketing with us.”
- 78. #PromotionsLab Talent7 Des Moines Register Des Moines, Iowa time of year | year-round sponsors | concert venues, music stores, art galleries, music festivals, performing arts schools WRAZ-TV Raleigh, North Carolina The Daily Herald Arlington Heights, Illinois
- 79. #PromotionsLab Who’s Next? -Adam Kirschner, Digital Program Director“ 7 WMIB-FM | Fort Lauderdale, Florida We generated $20,000 in non-traditional revenue from our title sponsor. The sponsor was thrilled with the ad impressions that came from the 490,000 page views.”
- 81. #PromotionsLab Fan Spirit6 time of year | year-round sponsors | sporting goods stores, stadiums, sports teams, universities, outdoor outfitters WSB-TV Atlanta, Georgia KARK-TV Little Rock, Arkansas KKBQ-FM Houston, Texas
- 82. #PromotionsLab School Spirit Video Contest -Eric J. Eckert, Digital Director“ 6 York News-Times | York, Nebraska At some of the schools, the teachers had each student start class by voting. We set the voting limit be to 35 times an hour per user and the kids go nuts with it.”
- 84. #PromotionsLab Pets5 time of year | year-round sponsors | pets stores, vet clinics, pet boarding facilities, obedience schools, grooming salons WXSS-FM Milwaukee, Wisconsin WJRR-FM Maitland, Flordia Citizens’ Voice Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
- 85. #PromotionsLab Animal Selfie Photo Contest5 Cape Cod Times | Hyannis, Massachusetts Pets can be incorporated in a holiday photo contest, selfie contest, or anything in between. You just can’t go wrong with pets.TIP:
- 87. #PromotionsLab Big Giveaway4 WSB-TV Atlanta, Georgia time of year | year-round sponsors | travel agencies, airlines, car dealerships, resorts & hotels, banks, event venues WLUK-TV Green Bay, Wisconsin The Edmonton Sun Edmonton, Alberta
- 88. #PromotionsLab Aloha Sweepstakes -Doug Friedman, Director of Creative Services“ 4 KUSI-TV | San Diego, California Viewers entered the contest each day. As a result, our morning newscast ratings increased during our the promotion.”
- 90. #PromotionsLab Local Sports3 time of year | year-round, season by season sponsors | sporting good stores, restaurants, bars, rec centers, gyms, local businesses WJAC-TV Johnstown, Pennsylvania WYMG-FM Chatham, Illinois WTAP-TV Parkersburg, West Virginia
- 91. #PromotionsLab Meathead of the Month3 Chicago Sun Times | Chicago, Illinois Local sports attract both your local advertisers and audience. These contests work in any size market.Tip:
- 93. #PromotionsLab Sweepstakes2 WPSD-TV Paducah, Kentucky time of year | year-round sponsors | car dealerships, banks, lotteries, grocery stores, electronics stores, concert venues Omaha World-Herald Omaha, Nebraska WBRE-TV Scranton, Pennsylvania
- 94. #PromotionsLab Food Lion Grocery Giveaway -Tara Whitfield, Marketing Assistant “ 2 WRAL-TV | Raleigh, North Carolina The Food Lion Grocery Giveaway contest received hundreds of thousands of total submissions, and collected significant amount of unique email addresses.”
- 96. #PromotionsLab Kids & Babies1 The Bellingham Herald Bellingham, Washington time of year | year-round sponsors | children’s retail, daycare, toy stores, pediatricians, banks jewelry stores WXSS-FM Milwaukee, Wisconsin KXLT-TV Rochester, Minnesota
- 97. #PromotionsLab Baby Bash1 WEZB-FM | New Orleans, Louisiana If you don’t have a kids or babies photo contest on your calendar – add it now! These contests can generate tens of thousands of dollars.Tip:
- 99. #PromotionsLab Getting Started: Get Certified Promotions University is an online training program designed to help you and your team run successful promotions.
- 100. #PromotionsLab Download our contest planning calendar template and idea bank at: Getting Started: Create a Plan secondstreetlab.com/calendar
- 101. #PromotionsLab Getting Started: Sell for Q4